House De Lancret
Origin Originally a noble house that oversaw the workings of the Province of Nymar, the De Lancret's were a type to keep to themselves. A family of which not much was known. They had ruled the province of Nymar up until the eruption of Mt Vallor that devastated the entire nation and wiped out many houses. Rise to Power After the eruption, the land was in chaos. The provincial borders had been lost and the remainders of the houses were brought down to constant squabbles. From the ashes of what was a prosperous provincial state, Alaric De Lancret stepped up. With the help of his wife, children and vassal houses he united the affected provinces under one ruler, himself. He became the first clear King of [[Araedia]]. Family Tree Affiliation with the Rites of Soleil During the eruption, the De Lancret's were left unscathed without a single loss after following the directions of their supposedly mad daughter, Athena. Athena lead them through passages to an impenetrable chamber in which there was a nest. Inside the nest, a newly generated phoenix. It was taken as a sign, the phoenix implanted it's talons into the outstretched arms of Athena, her parents did not stop her. After the incisions were made, the phoenix wept it's tears into the cuts till they healed. She named the creature Soleil and with every generation came new keepers and 'Ladies of the Order'. The belief was set that the phoenix held power over Mt Vallor and that if he was not appeased, it would erupt again. According to many, the first eruption was a warning, a scare to show the phoenix's power. Ladies of the Order Athena Arcenaux-De Lancret The first lady of the order was established alongside the monarchy of House De Lancret. Allegedly believed to be insane before her discovery of Soleil and her apparent role in saving the nation, Athena was always humble. The tales have it that she harboured the power to heal and manipulate fire after being blessed by Soleil though such details are blurred. Not much is known about the first Lady of the Order as she was one to keep a private life and afde into the background after marrying the Patriarch of House Arcenaux. Evelyn De Lancret The second lady of the order was known for being a fiery young maiden, much like the origins of the creature that she held so dear. After Athena, it is believed that she is the next lady that the mighty Soleil favoured. She was known as strong and independent. An architectural prodigy, she designed and had a fortress built that later kept an invasion at bay. In her honour, the fortress was named Evelyn Fort. She was also rumoured to have had the same powers as her predecessor, her life was in the public eye and one registered occasion is when she manipulated the flame from a torch to burn off the face of a man who intended to attack her father. Unfortunately, she died young in mysterious circumstances. Aleera Mormont-De Lancret Also from the third generation, Aleera was the younger sister of Evelyn and took her place as the third lady shortly before Evelyn's death. Where her sister was fiery and more outspoken, Aleera was quiet and reserved. Her tactical brilliance was masked by the illusion of a gullible airhead of a noblewoman. She never showed her powers and it is said that it is due to her refrain that the powers no longer remain within the ladies of the order. She married a man as tactful as herself, Paris Mormont. A young Duke. The two were happily married for ten years but did not have any children as Aleera was said to be barren. The couple also died young when their boat sank as they travelled along the stream towards Celnaer on a rainy Autumn eve. It is said that the boat was sabotaged and it is believed that Aleera's ghost still haunts the River Styx for a reason unknown to any. Anita Raith-De Lancret The fourth lady of the order and the first to be without powers. As Aleera died before her appointment, the lady could not learn the ways from the predecessors and was left to learn purely on book knowledge -which was limited. As the younger sister of King Henry, she was given as a wife to a man he trusted, the general Ronan Raith who was then given the title of Duke. She has a single son, Ryland Raith who married the mysterious Countess [[Duchess Elmira Raith-Pendragon|Elmira Raith-Pendragon]]. Anita was able to see her grandson's birth and hold him once before dying of a mysterious illness that some believe was a murder. Cressida De Martel The fifth lady of the order and the younger sister of Anita. As another sister of King Henry, she was also given as a wife to a friend of her brother's, the Duke Alistair De Martel. Unlike previous De Lancret women, she dropped her maiden name completely. She currently rules alongside her sister-in-law Juliana de Barbarac until the next in line, [[Princess Rhaenys De Lancret]], comes of age. She has two children of her own, Caius and Francesca alongside a ward, Valencia who is the niece of her husband. Young Valencia is also the sworn Keeper of Soleil and is sworn to abstinence. Cressida is tactful and has a sharp tongue, she is not one to pry into matters that do not affect her nation or her standing. [[Queen Rosaria De Lancret ☠|Rosaria De Lancret]] The sixth lady of the order and by far the most reckless. Until the age of seven, she was seen to be the next great noblewoman of Araedia. She had the strengths of all her predecessors alongside a complex mind. However, when her father died, she leapt off her pre-destined path and landed herself into more and more trouble. She built a reputation of being a self serving Temptress. She broke off her betrothal to [[Lord Felix Carter]] after he failed to attend the first set date for their marital rituals to begin. To spite him, she ensured that he caught her with another man when he finally did arrive. She was a vindictive woman. By the age of 18 she had married a squire and given birth to her first child, [[Princess Rhaenys De Lancret]]. After her husband's murder, the guilt put her on a downward spiral. With wine as her comfort she became even wilder and was eventually murdered by the [[Pirate King Bradai-Daran Maith]]. [[Princess Rhaenys De Lancret|Rhaenys De Lancret]] The seventh supposed lady of the order who is yet to perform her rites of passage. Prominent Rulers (Details to be added) King Alaric De Lancret The first King amongst the De Lancret line. Forever known as a rather simple man, Alaric's main accomplishment was the unification of the provinces alongside the establishment of the newly built provincial capitals after they were reduced to ashes. Under his 40 years of rule, the first small council was set up. Princess Evelyn De Lancret -Refer to Ladies of the Order. Prince Alejandro De Lancret The eldest of his siblings, he gained notability for stepping down from the monarchy after only having a female heir. Instead, he took hold of the justice system and established a small table of who he considered to be able minded and just Judges to handle the affairs of the common folk. The table was later taken over by his grandson, the high judge Caleb Hazard. King Henry De Lancret The man who ruled through the Golden Age of Araedia. He was known for his good looks, charm and compassion. The ideal ruler. He established the welfare style system, in which each wealthy house was given a settlement to keep. They were responsible for ensuring that each citizen was working on a sustainable salary, that each citizen was given a decent burial and had a roof over their heads. A later addition was a local hospital, so that people in the outlying villages would not have to travel to provincial capitals for their healthcare. The hospitals did demand a fee but one that could be covered by the noble house if a formal request was put to them. Queen Juliana De Barbarac The Queen Consort or Queen Mother of Araedia for the better part of three decades, a woman who rose through the ranks. She was initially the daughter of a feeble Lord who had initially no standing. With the help of her brother, who was a friend of King Henry's she rose. The match was arranged by Henry's mother Queen Corinna as she saw how well young Juliana fit into life and court and appeared to be at ease with the greater majority. She was married to him by the age of 16 and had their daughter, [[Queen Rosaria De Lancret ☠|Rosaria]] when she was 23. A few years later, she had a son who was later believed to be dead. After her husband's death, she took control of the nation and kept it stable until her daughter came of age. She was responsible for plotting the murder of her daughter's husband who had only been a lowly squire. Her daughter was later murdered and Juliana once again took the regency and holds it to this day, waiting for her seven year old granddaughter, [[Princess Rhaenys De Lancret|Princess Rhaenys]] to come of age. Grand Duchess Cressida De Martel -Refer to Ladies of the Order Princess Giovanna De Lancret The only one of Henry's sisters to not be accepted into the order. She died as part of the ritual that was performed later on in her life. Due to her childhood illness, she did not begin her right of passage till she was fifteen. By that point, she had become loved by the people for her immense kindness and compassion. Despite her illness which prevented her from leaving her bed for long periods of time, she strived to make herself known. With her mother's help she was carried around to orphanages and other such establishments where she would spend hours with those that were her age. She was truly adored. Queen Rosaria De Lancret =